Living Grameen: A personal account * Introduction
During March 2003, I had the unique opportunity to participate in the International Dialogue Program held annually by the Grameen Bank in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Ananda Foundation has awarded grants to finance microcredit projects. As Executive Director, I wanted to experience first hand how a successful microcredit program operates so that I could better appreciate the work of the NGOs we support and grasp an understanding of what poverty means to populations who are at the bottom of the social hiearchical ladder--the landless poor. Microcredit is a strategy that has evolved over time to help give the poor back their lives by giving them the tools to become self-employed (through loans and training). Microcredit loans involve giving small loans to women to start their own business.
The Grameen program brings together individuals from around to the world who are interested replicating Grameen type projects. Individuals are taught the principles behind microcredit, microfinance, and social entrepreneuship for poor landless women. The course is highlighted by an experience in the field seeing Grameen in action. There are visits to bank branches, interviews with bank managers, case studies with borrowers, and documentation of a branch's history.
Participants are introduced to the levels and stages during the process by which Grameen operates. The following excerpts are from my personal journal. I wanted to share them with you because I feel they illustrate a revolutionary strategy used in poverty alleviation. Grameen replication projects are currently employed in over eighty countries of the world including the United States.
I hope you enjoy reading these thoughts and become inspired in some way to help alleviate global poverty.
Levani
For further information:
The Price of a Dream: David Borstein
Visit the Grameen Bank
